Dizzy’s presents Besos de Coco (Coconut Kisses)

Mix a classical guitarist and a jazz bassist with a percussionist whose only instrument is her feet. This unique musical concoction might seem like a difficult undertaking to some, but for Besos de Coco, it’s not only easy, it’s enjoyable.

“When we play together, it’s so organic,” said Lorraine Castellanos, the guitarist and vocalist of this unconventional trio, which performs Sunday at Little Italy’s 98 Bottles. “We can read each other without saying anything. We’ll be practicing and one of us will do something unexpected and another will layer on top of it.”

Castellanos, a classical guitar graduate student at SDSU, knew contrabassist Evona Wascinski and tap dancer Claudia Gomez Vorce from different musical events over the years.

About a year ago, Lorraine’s husband, trumpeter Gilbert Castellanos, put together a group called Cajeta, that includes the three women. It was then that they discovered their musical ESP.

“We said, ‘This is magic, let’s get a group together,’ ” recalled Lorraine Castellanos. “We all have other projects and have to juggle a lot. But we love this trio and how original it is, how each person can arrange music and put her own flavor into it.”

Speaking of flavor, the band’s name is derived from “besitos de coco,” Spanish for coconut kisses. The tasty macaroon-like cookies are popular in the Caribbean.

“Claudia came up with the name, and then it evolved from besitos to besos,” Castellanos said. “She has another group called Cherries Jubilee. She likes to name her groups after desserts.”

Vorce, an acclaimed tap dancer and San Diego native, has worked in several artistic configurations here and in New York. She travels to Las Vegas to study under the legendary hoofer Bunny Briggs.

Is Vorce a hoofer or a tap dancer?

“I call myself both,” she said. “Hoofer is more down to earth. It’s an original style. Masters call themselves hoofers. I don’t consider myself a master, but I follow them. Improvisation is a basic element.

“Making music with these amazing ladies in Besos is fabulous. They are both talented and beautiful. They are family to me.”

Because all three move in many musical circles, the Besos repertoire is wide-ranging, including Brazilian, classical, jazz and more. Because the group has no leader, its arrangements are truly collective works.

“I’ll have an idea and write out a chart,” Castellanos said. “We get together and the whole thing will change, and that’s great. We add to Claudia’s parts, too: ‘How about a cha-cha style here?’ It’s a group effort. That’s the beauty behind it.”

The three versatile musicians consider themselves not only good collaborators but close friends. And being an all-female trio also makes a difference.

Bassist Wascinski, a longtime San Diegan who was born in Poland, has led her own bands and regularly performs in several others.

“More of the feminine side comes out of me when I’m working with this group,” she said of Besos. “I’m used to being the only woman on stage. It depends on the band, but I usually have to have a tough, thick skin. Playing with the girls lets me explore the feminine side of my playing — the emotional side, too.

“The fact that we get to do so many different styles is exciting,” she added. “And Lorraine’s a great singer. This group has a little of everything.”

Castellanos has lived in San Diego since she was an infant, when her Filipina mom and “Southside Irish” dad moved here from Chicago. She was a teen when she picked up guitar.

“I was a tomboy, really into Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. I played guitar in the garage for hours as a teenager,” she recalled. “A friend mentioned a great guitarist who was teaching at Grossmont College. It was Fred Benedetti, who, in my opinion, is the greatest classical guitarist. Then I was turned on to classical. I love it.”

When it comes to singing, Castellanos is drawn to jazz. In fact, she will perform a Billie Holiday tribute with four top-notch jazz musicians (including her trumpet-playing husband) on Sept. 22 at 98 Bottles.

“98 Bottles is a beautiful venue,” she said. “The owners are great, and the audiences really respect the music. For Besos de Coco, people have to be sensitive to the music. Our performance is a very intimate experience. We are not background music.”